


Like otters

by Smowkie



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, brief mention of original otter character(s), learning how to float
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 21:09:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20453600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smowkie/pseuds/Smowkie
Summary: In which Derek tries to learn how to float.





	Like otters

**Author's Note:**

> Another for the [Cuddling prompt list](https://sterekshaven.tumblr.com/post/187337228387)! seik-o said "maybe #21 of the cuddling prompts for sterek?" 21 is _In the water/in the bath_, and since I wrote them in a bathtub the other day I wrote them in a lake for this one. =)
> 
> Also, it's been years since I swam and floated, so while I know I'm hella good at floating I don't really remember much about it. I love it though, and I'm completely made of cork, so I float very easily. That does mean that I have no clue at all how to teach anyone how to float, so I just went with what felt logical. So if Stiles does everything wrong, that's why, don't be upset with him about it, it's all my fault =)
> 
> [Tumblr post](https://sterekshaven.tumblr.com/post/187380177527)   
[Pillowfort post](https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/817961)
> 
> Thank you to [Jessie](http://archiveofourown.org/users/rieraclaelin) for looking this over for me! Any remaining mistakes are my own, please leave them alone =)

Stiles held his phone out for Derek, who took it and looked at the photo. It was two otters floating somewhere while holding hands.

”They’re holding hands to not drift apart,” Stiles said. ”We should do that. I wanna be otters together.”

Derek smiled as he handed the phone back. ”It does look nice,” he said. ”Except I can’t float.”

”You can’t float?” Stiles asked.

”I could learn though,” Derek said. It couldn't be that difficult.

-

”There, and just relax,” Stiles said, and Derek groaned as his legs started to sink immediately. ”It’s okay, just relax, I’ve got you, just let them be.”

Derek _tried_ to let them be, but it wasn’t many seconds until he tried to lift them back to the surface only for his butt to sink instead. He grunted as he moved to stand up in the water.

”I don’t get it,” he said, frustrated. It really shouldn’t be that hard to float.

”You’re tensing up, and when your legs sink you try to raise them and all of you sink instead,” Stiles said patiently. ”Come on, try again, let your legs sink if they do, just try to relax, I’m holding you, you won’t sink.”

Derek clenched his jaws as he nodded. ”Okay. I can do this.”

”You can,” Stiles said.

He held his arms out for Derek again, and Derek nodded as he moved into position. Stiles held one hand under his back and one under his thighs, lifted him to the surface, and Derek relaxed. That part he had down, it felt amazing to just lie there, almost floating, just held up by Stiles’ light touch.

Then Stiles moved his hand from under Derek’s legs again.

”I’ve got you, just relax,” Stiles said as Derek’s legs sank like rocks.

A good while later, Derek didn’t have a watch on and he had lost count of how many times they had tried, Stiles moved his hand from under Derek’s legs, which started to sink immediately.

”It’s okay,” Stiles said, ”feel the water, just relax and enjoy how good it feels.”

Derek focused _hard_ on the water, they were trying to get him to not think about his sinking legs, so he felt the water instead, how it moved against his skin, gently flowed around him.

”There you go,” Stiles said, which made Derek aware of his legs that were at the surface again. They immediately sank and he groaned as Stiles pressed a smiling kiss to his cheek. ”You did great, come on, one more time.”

”Ugh, yeah,” Derek said.

”I love how stubborn you are,” Stiles said as they got in position again, his hands barely touching Derek as he kept him afloat.

”I’m gonna learn this,” Derek said.

”You totally are,” Stiles agreed, smiling at him. Derek was a little amazed by his patience, that he still stood there and held Derek as he tried and failed time and time again. ”Okay, focus on the water again.”

Stiles moved his hand and Derek focused on the water. It was cool but not cold as it splashed gently against his sun-warmed skin. It pooled in the hollow between his collarbones, flowed around his arms, between his fingers, gently and softly. He loved how it felt against him, how it felt when he was so still in the water, the gentle breeze against his skin, the sun beating down on them, everything felt good, comfortable.

He noticed Stiles’ hand under his back move a little, but he ignored it - it stayed where it was, a gentle safety keeping him up - and kept his focus on the water, on the sensations in his body.

”How does it feel?” Stiles asked, his voice soft and quiet.

”Good,” Derek said. He tried to find words to describe how the water felt when Stiles pressed his cheek against Derek’s, and he opened his eyes to look at him. They had moved to deeper water, it reached Stiles’ neck, and he had moved so he was standing behind Derek, both his hands under Derek’s shoulders, barely holding him up but there for Derek to lean on. ”I’m floating, my legs are floating.”

Stiles smiled against his cheek. ”They are,” he said.

Derek grinned, and his legs sank like rocks. ”Oh, for fuck’s sake,” he muttered.

”Stay,” Stiles said, nuzzled against Derek’s cheek. ”Just stay and relax, close your eyes, don’t think about floating, just be, feel the water, feel me.”

Derek nodded in a small movement and closed his eyes, felt Stiles’ hands under his back, his arms brushing his shoulders, his cheek against his, and he felt the water, the soft breeze, the sun warming his skin.

”There you go,” Stiles murmured against his cheek, and Derek smiled and carefully pressed his cheek against Stiles’ mouth.

”This is so nice,” he said quietly.

”It is,” Stiles said. ”Keep this up and maybe you’ll manage next summer.”

Derek laughed, his sinking body held up by Stiles’ arms. ”Fuck you,” he said, and Stiles smacked a kiss to his cheek.

”We could get you a life vest to float in,” he said.

”Or you could just hold me like this,” Derek said.

”I can do that,” Stiles said. ”It’s like cuddling but in a lake, I like it.”

”But we were gonna be otters together,” Derek said with a pout.

”Next summer,” Stiles said. ”Or the one after that. Or we could go to the Dead Sea.”

Derek laughed again, turned his head to kiss the corner of Stiles’ mouth.

”I’ll learn,” he said, determined. ”I’m stubborn, you said so yourself, and you wanna be otters together.” He stood up and turned to Stiles. ”Show me again.”

Stiles grinned and sort of just slowly fell back, and then he was floating, smiling at Derek.

”It’s easy once you get the hang of it,” he said.

”But _how_?” Derek asked, and Stiles shrugged, water sloshing over his chest.

”I just float,” he said. ”I relax and, I don’t know, maybe I’m made of cork?”

Derek put a hand on Stiles’ stomach, pushed down gently. He felt how he tensed his stomach, but he was still floating, still smiling at Derek, completely unbothered by the pressure of his hand.

”I think you might be,” Derek said. He moved behind Stiles, tugged him back until he had his head on Derek’s shoulder, then he placed his arms on his chest and nuzzled his cheek. ”I’ll see if there’s some sort of wolverine make-over thing but with cork instead of that metal he has.”

Stiles laughed softly, still floating like some kind of a buoy. ”I do like this cuddling thing too though,” he said and pressed his cheek against Derek’s.

-

Two weeks later Derek was floating on an air mattress in the lake, his fingers entwined with Stiles’ as he was floating next to him, making sure they didn’t drift apart. He’d manage without the air mattress next summer. Probably.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated =) ♥
> 
> As usual, if I've missed or forgotten a tag, please let me know!


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